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Shoulder MRI (with contrast) at MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center

3421 W. 9th St, Waterloo, IA · MercyOne · · NPI 1700827896

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Mar 31, 2026 · Ingested Aug 3, 2026

$7,314.45

Cash price

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Discounted cash price

What a hospital charges a self-pay patient who pays directly, without going through insurance — usually well below the gross charge.

Example: A CT scan has a $3,200 gross charge but an $850 discounted cash price. Ask for it by name when scheduling — hospitals don't always advertise it up front.

Full explanation →

What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$11,253.00

Gross charge

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Gross charge (chargemaster price)

The hospital's full, undiscounted list price — pulled from its internal "chargemaster" price list. Almost no one actually pays this.

Example: A chest X-ray has a gross charge of $1,450. The same hospital's discounted cash price for the same X-ray is $180 — the gross charge mostly anchors negotiations, not what patients pay.

Full explanation →

The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.

$738.54 with MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS vs $7,502.00 with IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH — same scan, same building. Share

Negotiated rates by payer
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Negotiated rate

The price a specific insurance plan agreed to pay the hospital for a service — it varies by insurer, and even by plan within the same insurer.

Example: The same knee MRI has a negotiated rate of $904 with one insurer's PPO plan and $1,509 with another's — identical hospital, identical scan.

Full explanation →

Payer
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Payer

The insurance company footing the bill — Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Medicare, and so on.

Example: "Blue Cross Blue Shield" is the payer. Its negotiated rate for an MRI might be $904, while a different payer's negotiated rate for the same scan is $1,509.

Full explanation →
Plan
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Plan

The specific product an insurer sells — e.g. "Blue Cross PPO 500" — which sets your deductible, coinsurance and negotiated rates.

Example: Two people both insured by Aetna can owe very different amounts for the same MRI: $50 with an HMO plan's flat copay, or the full $1,200 toward a high-deductible PPO plan's unmet deductible.

Full explanation →
Negotiated rate vs. cash
MEDICARE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES HEALTH PLANS MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $738.54 ↓ -90%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $738.54 ↓ -90%
MEDIGOLD MEDICARE ADVANTAGE MERCYONE HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $738.54 ↓ -90%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLMARK MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $745.93 ↓ -90%
IOWA TOTAL CARE IOWA TOTAL CARE MEDICAID $751.01 ↓ -90%
UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $753.31 ↓ -90%
MOLINA MEDICAID MOLINA MEDICAID $758.37 ↓ -90%
HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE UNITYPOINT HEALTH PARTNERS MEDICARE ADV $761.15 ↓ -90%
WELLPOINT MEDICAID WELLPOINT MEDICAID $761.32 ↓ -90%
WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE WELLPOINT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $768.69 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - WY WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - MI WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - PA (INDEPENDENCE) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - IL ALTERNATE WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - AK (PREMERA) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - CO (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE SHIELD - WA (REGENCE) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE SHIELD - NY HIGHMARK WESTERN WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - OK WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE SHIELD - PA (HIGHMARK) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - VT WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BCN DOMESTIC WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - VA (CAREFIRST) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - TX WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - NH (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - KY (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - FEDERAL WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - WA (PREMERA) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - AZ WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - RI WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
PRE-EMPLOYMENT WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - NC WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - OR (REGENCE) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - SC WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CARE NETWORK WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - VA (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - WI (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) WELLMARK HMO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - DC (CAREFIRST) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE SHIELD - NY HIGHMARK NORTHEASTERN WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - MT WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - KS WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - NY (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE SHIELD - ID (REGENCE) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - UT (REGENCE) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - ME (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - FL WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - GA (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - LA WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - NY (EXCELLUS) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - SD (WELLMARK) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - MD (CAREFIRST) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS DOMESTIC WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
WC DOMESTIC WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - CT (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - WV (HIGHMARK) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE SHIELD - CA WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - DE (HIGHMARK) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - IA (WELLMARK) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - IL WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - TN WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - AR WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - NE WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - NV (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - OH (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - MS WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - PA (CAPITAL) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE DISTINCTION TRANSPLANT WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - IN (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - MO (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - MA WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - CA (ANTHEM) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - AL WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - ND WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
KAISER DOMESTIC WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BCBS GENERIC WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - MN WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE BENEFIT ADMINISTRATORS OF MASSACHUSETTS WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - HI WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - ID WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - NJ (HORIZON) WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
BLUE CROSS - NM WELLMARK PPO $800.90 ↓ -89%
AMISH HOSPITAL AID AMISH HOSPITAL AID $1,002.31 ↓ -86%
OSCAR OSCAR $1,156.57 ↓ -84%
CENTIVO CENTIVO $1,251.00 ↓ -83%
AMBETTER AMBETTER MARKETPLACE $1,266.07 ↓ -83%
WEBTPA AETNA $1,471.24 ↓ -80%
COVENTRY AETNA $1,471.24 ↓ -80%
ALLIED BENEFIT SYSTEMS AETNA $1,471.24 ↓ -80%
LUCENT HEALTH AETNA $1,471.24 ↓ -80%
LUMINARE HEALTH AETNA $1,471.24 ↓ -80%
ASR HEALTH BENEFITS AETNA $1,471.24 ↓ -80%
CHRISTIAN BROTHER SERVICES AETNA $1,471.24 ↓ -80%
FIRST HEALTH AETNA $1,471.24 ↓ -80%
AETNA AETNA $1,471.24 ↓ -80%
MERITAIN AETNA $1,471.24 ↓ -80%
MEDICAL MUTUAL AETNA $1,471.24 ↓ -80%
AETNA DOMESTIC AETNA $1,471.24 ↓ -80%
AETNA EAP AETNA $1,471.24 ↓ -80%
NOVA CLAIMDOC $1,514.77 ↓ -79%
CLAIMDOC CLAIMDOC $1,514.77 ↓ -79%
GEHA UNITED HEALTHCARE $1,666.69 ↓ -77%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $1,666.69 ↓ -77%
MEDICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $1,762.97 ↓ -76%
HEALTH CHOICES MEDICAL ASSOCIATES $1,762.97 ↓ -76%
HEALTH PARTNERS HEALTH PARTNERS $4,921.31 ↓ -33%
MIDLANDS CHOICE MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $5,326.42 ↓ -27%
MIDLANDS MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $5,326.42 ↓ -27%
AUXIANT MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $5,326.42 ↓ -27%
MEDICA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $5,326.42 ↓ -27%
CIGNA MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $5,326.42 ↓ -27%
CIGNA EAP MIDLANDS CHOICE PPO $5,326.42 ↓ -27%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE DEERE PREMIER $6,976.86 ↓ -5%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC OPTUM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH $7,502.00 ↑ +3%
IOWA DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FOR YOURSELF $7,502.00 ↑ +3%

Visitor-reported prices

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Shoulder MRI (with contrast) at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
UnityPoint Health - Allen Hospital Waterloo $1,635.18 $71.16 – $1,077.17
UnityPoint Health - Iowa Lutheran Hospital Des Moines $3,564.64 $71.16 – $1,310.00
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $5,309.20 $703.29 – $5,445.00
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $3,125.85 $721.88 – $3,206.00
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $7,315.10 $738.54 – $7,502.00
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines $6,268.60 $739.93 – $6,429.00
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $2,205.00 $756.26 – $1,058.77
MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center West Des Moines $9,717.00 $739.93 – $6,477.00

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →